Kenobi - Knight of Ren
by MissyMaestro
Summary: Anya Kenobi serves Kylo Ren in a plan that aims to eventually unite the First Order and the Resistance. The Knights of Ren are a big part of Ren's life, but suddenly, so is General Armitage Hux.
1. Chapter 1

Ben Solo, as tall as his father and as fair as his mother, stood between his parents, a look of uncertain confidence on his face. Somewhere between a child and a man, he held cautious optimism for his future. _Things will get better._

"You'll do great, Ben," his mother murmured, reaching up to swipe a lock of dark hair back from his face. "Luke is the best teacher in the galaxy. Don't be afraid."

Nearby a girl, perhaps ten, sniffled as her parents boarded their ship and waved goodbye.

"The other students," Ben frowned. "They're young." He huffed. "What if – what if I'm too strong? It's like these children are learning to walk but I'm already running and leaping over hurdles."

"Yeah, well, you're not so old yourself, kid," his father scoffed, slapping him on the back. "Listen to Luke and get this thing under control, huh?"

His mother winked. "I wouldn't worry about being held back."

Scanning the group of students, his father grinned and pointed. "There's your partner. I'd bet the Falcon on it."

Behind them, a Wookie snarled.

"I don't think he means it, Chewie," Ben smiled.

In the midst of the group of children saying goodbye to their parents, Uncle Luke was chatting amiably with a family. A tall girl with them, seemingly the eldest of the other students besides him, had a long brown braid and a kind face. When she grew bored of the conversation, she glanced his way. "I know who you are!" she called suddenly as recognition blazed in her eyes. "General Organa! Han Solo!"

Ben blinked in surprise and looked to his mother.

"Surprise." Leia smiled. "I knew your path would cross with hers some day."

"Ben Solo, then!" the girl announced as she strode over, striking out a hand. "You were named for mygrandfather."

"Kenobi," Ben sighed in relief, glad the mystery was over. "You're a Kenobi." He shook her hand and smiled nervously.

"Anya Kenobi." She winced. "I'm named for _your_ grandfather."

Leia pulled the girl into a hug. "It's nice to see you again, Anya. I think the last time I saw you I held you in my arms. You were just a baby."

"Yeah. My parents are over there, if you want to talk to them." She smiled as Han and Leia nodded and left the two standing awkwardly. Anya wrinkled her nose. "Your Majesty?" she offered sarcastically. "Or is Ben all right?"

"Ben. I'm not a really a-"

"Prince? Sure you are," the girl interrupted, bouncing on her heels and gazing up at him with delighted interest. "Half the students are whispering about it. The other half is pretending they can't hear so you don't intimidate them to death."

Ben raised an eyebrow. "Intimidate? What do these students know of me?"

"It's not every day someone meets a Skywalker, Ben." She laughed brightly. "You're the son of the rebellion. That was _Han Solo and General Organa._ It was all I could do to remind myself that a Kenobi doesn't get worked up about these things." She gave a sharp nod. "The Jedi don't concern themselves with fame."

"If I'm son of the rebellion, what does that make you?" Ben replied. "I've heard stories of your grandfather since I was a boy." He gestured toward Luke. "From him, especially."

"I guess that makes me your master, if history really does repeat itself." Anya stood up straighter, trying to match Ben's height. "The Kenobi – Skywalker partnership went well enough. For a while," she added sheepishly. "Don't go joining the Dark Side, huh?"

"We'll see when training starts," Ben grinned. "I was worried no one would be able to keep up with me. A Kenobi, though. That's reassuring."

"Keep up with you?" Anya scoffed. "I'll spin you in circles, Solo."

* * *

Kylo Ren woke up with a start.

It had been a long kriffing time since he'd thought of his childhood. How long ago had they met? Fifteen years? He groaned and rolled over in his cot. An arm's reach away, a figure was nestled in its own bed. The ship was small enough that he could hear her breathing. He shook her shoulder unceremoniously. "Anya."

The body stirred and she pulled a blanket up to her chin. "Hmm?"

"Did you hear from anyone? Were there any problems?" Ben held his breath. For some reason he expected to see the face from his dream and was surpsied to see a woman looking back at him.

Anya glared at him over the hem of the blanket. "If you wanted to be the point of contact, you should have stayed up all night waiting for a call that wasn't going to come." She rolled over and faced the black metal panels of the wall. "You're the one who said they were ready. Trust them."

"I do. They are," Ben snapped. The Knights of Ren – _his_ knights - recently finished their training. He was terribly proud of them. Each knight honed her skills quickly and with a fervor he never expected from such young students. The oldest was Anya, of an age with him, but the next eldest was only twenty. Now they were out in the galaxy, away from his protection. Five knights in five different corners of the galaxy. _May the Force be with you,_ he silently prayed for each of them.

Anya was staring at the ceiling, her eyes wide open. "I'm so tired I'm not tired anymore."

"Sorry," Ben replied sheepishly. "I had a dream about when we first met."

"I should have run in the other direction." Anya's grim face cracked and a smile shone through. Finally, she sat up and leaned against the wall, gazing at him. "I feel bad keeping the girls in the dark."

"Knights," Ben corrected her sharply. "They're knights."

"Right," Anya replied, nonplussed. "We're working against the dark side. Why can't they know? Don't you think that would steel them even further? They're all conflicted about serving the dark."

Ben sighed. The same question weighed on him every day. "It's a burden they don't deserve to bear. It would only put them in danger with enemies, the First Order, Snoke. They serve the Light whether they know it or not."

"We've already put them in danger, sending them out to recruit Force users," Anya sighed. "What if Ambryn finds someone stronger than her?"

He thought of the knights and hoped she was wrong.

Anya, of course, was his second in command and the first student he'd run to when Master Luke nearly killed him. Ben pushed the memory away. All that mattered was that Anya was his closest friend and most loyal, trusted knight. On several occasions she saved his life, but he never let her forget the fact that he kept an opponent from cutting off her long brown braid, which she cherished. Her Kenobi logic and calm were unshakable and he loved her for it.

The next oldest, Gemma, pale and with a shaved head, had a sharp tongue and even sharper wit. She was their master engineer and loved making sabers and other weapons with kyber crystals.

Lucia, with caramel colored skin and eyes more lovely than any Ben had ever seen, was the persuasion factor of the group. Her charm and Force skills made her a strong negotiator. Plus, men fell all over themselves when she removed her mask.

The tallest and fiercest warrior was Dez. As black as space and with orange eyes, her look was as severe as her combat skills. Were they to fight hand to hand with no Force interference, Ben truly wondered whether he would win.

Ross was shy, and in their years together, Ben felt as though he'd never gotten to know anything about her. She had red hair and loved Master Luke. When she threw down her weapon and joined him the night they left, Ben mistrusted her and waited for her to attack him. The betrayal never came and he finally trusted her entirely.

Ambryn was the youngest. Only fourteen, she'd been nothing more than a child when Ben scooped her from her bed and stole into the night, leaving Luke Skywalker's training behind for good. The girl's parents had abandoned her there, afraid of her Force powers. Ben couldn't help but feel as if he'd raised her, but he'd never admit to himself that she was his favorite of the knights.

"They're all right. All of them," Anya said softly. "You trained us well, _Master,_ " she added sarcastically.

A rush of affection swelled in Ben. The knights were strong, each in her own way. They respected and served him. Being raised as an only child to busy parents had been lonely. The knights gave him the sense of family he longed for. Anya sat across from him because he had a different mission in mind for her, but also because he couldn't bear sending her away. She'd been by his side for years. He couldn't be without her. "An," Ben muttered.

"Don't get like this," the woman scoffed. "If you're going to schmooze with the Supreme Leader, you're going to have to toughen up." She reached over and slapped his cheek lightly. "None of this. You said yourself he can see your thoughts better than Lucia. Remember: your knights are your pawns. You're here to become as strong as Darth Vader. The Resistance is nothing to you."

"You aren't in this yet," Ben said. "You can still go home."

"And leave a Skywalker at large in the galaxy? I don't think so." She smiled. "Hasn't worked out well for the Kenobis in the past, though, has it?"

"I owe Snoke a report now." He sat for a moment, grinning at her. "Go back to sleep." 

* * *

Ben Solo was no longer a boy, and Anya Kenobi had followed him off of their expected path into darkness and sorrow. Her faith never faltered, even when it should have, like that instance on Taupra. The knight smiled to herself and continued to braid her long hair.

Kylo Ren strode through the ship, playing the part every bit. He snapped at her before the First Order generals and commanders. He shot her glances if she spoke out of turn. He spat commands at her.

Anya was proud.

When he proposed she win General Armitage Hux to their side, she was less proud. The general loathed anyone that so much as _believed_ in the Force.

"You do it," she snapped. "I'm not spending time with him."

"He is our key to all of this. He's close with Snoke." Ben ruffled his hair in frustration. "It has to be you. Hux hates me. He worked to rise through the ranks and I show up and am his equal, or more." Groaning, he sat crosslegged in his cot. "I hate asking you. But you have to."

Anya smirked. "Fine. But what if I decide I like him?"

Ben narrowed his eyes. "There's not a single appealing quality about that man. I'd severely judge your taste in men."

* * *

Later that week she saw her opportunity. Hux was standing outside a conference hall, waiting to give a briefing to a panel of lieutenants.

"Hello there," Anya called out, her mask disguising her voice. "I'm to report somewhere around here. I think it's this room you're guarding."

General Hux stiffened and cleared his throat. "The Supreme Leader is not to be interrupted, even by you."

"Oh, sure." Anya nodded and pulled off her helmet and her long braid unfurled and spilled down her front.

The faintest hint of a smile graced his lips. " _You_ are one of Ren's knights?" he laughed in utter bewilderment. "What is such a fetching lady doing under this beast's command?"

"Careful," she cooed. "Kylo Ren is my teacher and master." Still, she smiled. Perhaps the assignment wouldn't be as bad as she expected.

"You're his apprentice?" Hux breathed. "I'm relieved. I expected another immature brooding man. You're a sight for sore eyes." He gave his head a slight shake. "Forgive me. General Armitage Hux."

"Anya Kenobi." She offered her hand.

Hux meant to take it, but paused. "You aren't going to shock me or throw me across the room or smash me on the ceiling, are you?"

Snatching his hand and shaking it, Anya smiled. "Of course not, Sir." Instead, she pushed into his head briefly and giggled at his flattering thoughts of her. "Why, thank you, General." A blush rose in her cheeks.

Gasping and drawing back, Hux cleared his throat. "That's what I expected from one of Ren's students."

Anya held his gaze and wondered if he truly would do the things to her he imagined. She could never deny that Hux was attractive, but knowing he was her enemy kept her away. Now her own mind was beginning to wonder. "That's not what I expected you to want to do to me."

"Ah, I see you've met Anya." Ben's voice boomed down the hallway as he marched toward the conference chamber. "Take care not to treat her with the same loathing you save for me." He exchanged a brief glance with the knight and entered the room.

"Of course, Supreme Leader," Hux replied, not taking his eyes from the woman. His lip twitched as she pushed into his mind once more. Anya could sense his intrigue.

"I'm sorry. I can't help it," she mumbled, withdrawing from Hux's mind and leaving his standing slack-jawed.

"I- I expect this is a trap Ren set for me," Hux managed. He swallowed hard and took a deep breath. "I'm sorry to disappoint the both of you." Still, his eyes hadn't left her face.


	2. Mission Success

Ben was pleased, if not strangely repulsed.

In less than a month, Anya Kenobi, his great persuader, had General Hux entirely smitten. The ginger watched her slack-jawed, his desire and intrigue all but broadcast to the entire First Order. What was even stranger was the way the knight occasionally glanced to the general during meetings and blushed when she caught his eye.

Ben convinced himself she was just a fantastic actress.

He had to admit she was more devoted to the act than he expected when he saw her lean in and whisper seductively at the general's ear in the corridor. Ben's lip curled as the general's hand went to the small of Anya's back as he leaned in to better hear her.

Leaving the knight to her work, Ben busied himself elsewhere.

* * *

The mission was detestable at first, but rapidly grew into something she didn't mind. General Hux put on a good show for the troops and other officers but was really quite the funny man. If you liked a dark, cynical sense of humor, that is. Anya did.

"Dinner with me?" she finally asked the general, catching him by the shoulders and reaching up to her tip toes to let her lips brush against his ear. His hand instinctively brushed against the small of her back as she whispered. "I'm starving."

Realizing how close they were, Hux recoiled as if burned. "I- I think it inappropriate to dine with one of Ren's knights."

"And I shouldn't eat with a general." Anya pushed her braid over her shoulder and stood with her hands on her hips. "I know you want to. Come eat with me. You must be hungry. Look how thin you are!" Her eyes lingered on his body and his cheeks burned red.

The general pursed his lips. "I'm well aware of the influences your grandfather had with his parlor tricks. I feel the same pull from you. I won't be falsely seduced by your magic."

Anya bared her teeth. "I won't be compared to a man I barely remember. He was a Jedi Knight. I'm a Knight of Ren. _Vastly_ different. Besides, how would you like if I took you for the same type of man as Brendol Hux?" She cocked an eyebrow and watched Hux's mouth snap shut.

He considered her words, then nodded. "Very well. You've made a valid point. Dinner, then?"

"Good," Anya nodded, looping her arm through his and dragging him toward the mess hall. "Like I said. I'm _starving._ " She glanced to him with a smirk.

"A worthy opponent at last," Hux muttered.

"I was thinking the same thing," Anya agreed unabashedly.

Once they'd eaten, Hux leaned his cheek on his hand and studied her expression. "How did you come upon Kylo Ren? You seem to have common sense and a vast intellect. Not the type to blindly follow a lunatic."

"Aren't all leaders lunatics?" Anya quipped easily. She raised an eyebrow at the general. "Would an incredibly sane person put themself through trying to run the entire First Order, General? Oversee traitorous officers? Let the Resistance get away? Work with his hated rival?"

At first he scowled. His lips pulled downward and his forehead creased with ugly wrinkles. After a moment, his skin smoothed and his eyes sparkled and crinkled as the first notes of laughter fell from his lips. It grew to a roar and Hux brought his hand down on the table in delight.

The sound made Anya laugh, too.

When he could speak again, he sighed off the rest of the laughter. "Only an insane man would meet with Ren's pet. I suspect he'll throw a tantrum and throw me across the floor when he finds out. Yet here I am, wishing the evening wasn't at an end."

Anya cocked her head. "Come now, General. Only a crazy man would let the evening end here."

* * *

Hours later Anya fell back against the black pillows on Hux's bed panting, her hair splaying out around her. Sweat trickled from her temples and she swiped it away, hoping she didn't look too worse for the wear. "Kriff."

Hux was sitting on the edge of the bed, reaching for a pitcher of water on the night stand. "Kriff that was fantastic, or kriff you're disappointed that it was only thrice and not four rounds?" He looked over his shoulder, smirking at the way she still caught her breath. "Though a fearsome Knight you may be, I venture to say I've bested you in this first test."

"Test?" Anya scoffed. "This was a test of physical endurance? That's hardly fair." She sat up and reached for him, running her nails down his back lightly. "I didn't know we were playing like _that_."

He leaned back and pressed a passionate kiss to her collarbone. "I don't play any other way, my dear. I mean to excel in everything I do." His fingers traced down her body and touched her in a way that made her shudder and sigh. " _And everyone."_

Anya playfully pulled him back onto the bed and pinned him down. "You're different than the general," she ventured as she traced the freckles on this chest.

"Please," he sighed through a smile, "stay out of my mind. It's awfully exhausting to feel someone rummage through your thoughts."

"This is sheer observation!" Anya exclaimed, laughing. "I don't need to look in your mind. I'm not as painfully unintuitive as my master. The general gets things done but Armitage is," she hesitated. "Different. Funny. Clever. Sexy."

The comment erased his goofy grin. "And Hux is not clever?"

Anya scoffed. "There's clever and then there's strategic."

"Like Kylo Ren, I imagine?" Bitterness hissed in his words. "Your _master?"_ He moved to get up, but Anya held him down.

"Maybe," she shrugged. "I can't help but admire him. If not for him, I'd be dead at Skywalker's hand."

Hux rolled his eyes. "I'd rather not hear about Ren while I'm in my chambers with a gorgeous woman." He let his hands wander. "I've far better things to focus on."

"Armie," Anya giggled, wriggling out of his grasp. "That _tickles._ "

"Armie?" he repeated in disbelief, rolling onto his side.

"Armie." She reached over and pecked his lips. "Oh, you hate it. Too bad. I love it."

"Mmm," Hux conceded as she closed her eyes and nestled into bed to sleep. "Alarm at 0500."

* * *

Like everything else in life, Armitage slept hard and with great efficiency. Anya watched, mesmerized, as he lie perfectly still, breathing deeply and evenly. The only other person Anya ever slept beside was Ben, who thrashed about, snored, and spoke through what was surely restless slumber. She pitied the woman who ended up sleeping at his side.

The rhythmic exhales were oddly calming to her. A tingling in her scalp lulled her toward sleep, but she couldn't tear her gaze away from the general's face. Besides a bit of drool sneaking onto his lip, Armitage Hux was a perfect model of how a human should recharge. He was beautiful. She loved the side of him she saw tonight.

 _Loved._

The realization startled her.

 _Ben._ In her heart she knew he would let her get away with murder and worse – hadn't he literally done so already? He would shield her from his disappointment or anger, but she would always sense it. Hurting her dear Ben in any way was a sin unforgivable to her own ethos. She had Hux's trust, which he so desperately needed to advance their cause, but suddenly giving him up seemed unfathomable, too. Her loyalty tugged her in different directions. Armie. Ben. They weren't bad men. Well, perhaps. But not _really._

She heard Armitage roll over and sigh as she penned a note and crept out the door.


	3. Apologies

Ben awoke with a start. It was that feeling again. The emotions gave rise to his anxiety. The Force amplified the terror. Suddenly the entire galaxy was collapsing in on him and he lunged for something solid and real. His hand collided with the wall, smooth and cool. He squeezed his eyes shut. _Things you can feel._ The wall. The bed. The blanket. _Things you can smell._ Recirculated oxygen. A light, fresh scent of soap. _Things you can hear._ Anya Kenobi.

Anya's breath from her bunk relaxed him. She could have had her own quarters but chose to remain within arm's distance of him. He had been and was still grateful. He'd always found solace in having her near as he slept. As a matter of fact, the last time he'd slept alone was the night his uncle tried to kill him. No, his family wasn't reliable. Leia Organa was always gone at some meeting or council function. Han Solo was- dead.

"Anya," he called urgently. "An."

"Hmm? What's wrong, Ben?"

"Tell me I didn't do it." Tears choked him. "Tell me Han Solo lives."

In an instant, Anya was perched on the edge of his bed. "Let me." She pressed her fingertips to his temple, but he thrashed away.

" _No!"_ he roared. "Tell me it was a nightmare."

Anya's long braid hung over her shoulder and tickled his chest. She batted it out of the way and wiped her eyes. "He understood. He understood the question." More tears rolled down her cheeks. "Ben, he knew. Let me help. Let me-"

"No!" Ben cried again, slapping her hand away. "I killed him, An. It's gone too far. I can't put on this charade. Can't we just go back? No one would stop us." He shuddered. "We have to go. We'll go to my mother and explain-"

"No." Anya grabbed his hand. "The entire galaxy is counting on you. It's either we stop them from the inside or we can't stop them at all. General Organa can't know."

Ben moaned. It was a sorrowful, horrendous sound that made Anya cringe away from him. She was right. If anyone in the resistance knew that he and the Knights of Ren worked for their cause as double agents, it would go wrong somehow. It was better that only he and Anya knew that they served the Light. Still, the charade and the fact that his own father had died at his hand, suspecting his son's deception, was becoming impossible to live. He wished it over.

At last Anya drew a breath and touched her fingertips against his forehead. He sighed and leaned into the pressure, immediately feeling a cool sensation flow from her into him, numbing his senses and slowing his thoughts. The pillow beneath him was soft and he settled back into it. "An. You're saving the galaxy. Not me."

"Shut up," Anya sighed. "Sleep."

"You can do it, right?" Ben's voice was thick with impending slumber. Still, he struggled to keep his eyes open. "Can you?"

"All you're asking me to do is make someone fall in love with me," Anya replied. "But sure."

Ben took a deep breath and embraced sleep. "For the Light."

* * *

Conflict raged in Anya and made her very being ache. Every motive and move seemed wrong. The Light glimmered distantly, but the Dark closing in on her was suffocating. She had no doubt that her actions were working to benefit the resistance. Ben's struggle was real, and Anya knew it. Darth Vader fell to the Dark, and she knew Ben feared the same fate. He was walking a tight rope above the flames, doused in lighter fluid.

Solace came in the company of Armitage Hux. There was something extremely hypnotizing about the grey of his eyes and Anya allowed herself to become enamored with him. They stole glances and touches in the corridors and council meetings. When they could get away, they eagerly ravaged the other in empty rooms or around corners. More than once Anya returned to her quarters with frizzy hair and swollen lips, scrutinized by an interested yet silent gaze from Ben.

After an unusually uneventful day, the knight donned her long charcoal cloak and set out to find the general. Troopers shied away from her in the halls. Glimpses of their emotions wafted off of them. Intimidation. Fear. Annoyance. Intrigue. The gut reactions were much less extreme than when she walked anywhere with Ben and she took some pride in that.

Hux wasn't in his chambers or on the bridge. Anya knew precisely where he would be.

He strode along a spacious hall with a dome arching from floor to floor, staring out into the vastness of space. With his pristine uniform and arms clasped behind his back, he truly looked a collected, unshakable officer of the First Order. Authority and seriousness radiated from him. As usual, the image set an angry spark in her gut, but she looked past the uniform and it fizzled out. Armitage was not General Hux. She had to separate the two. Compartmentalizing was part of the Jedi teachings.

"It's pretty, isn't it?" she called out.

Hux turned from the window wall with a start. His eyes trailed from the hem of her cloak to her hood. "I thought you were training with Kylo Ren this evening."

"We did a quite intense session and called it adequate." She dropped the hood and let her braid fall out. "You look lonely."

Hux smiled sadly. "As you rise through the ranks, there are fewer and fewer to commiserate with." He cast his eyes to the stars once more. "I suppose I am lonely." After a moment the smile fell away and he dropped his gaze to his gloves. "I suppose that's a lie. I _never_ had a colleague to spend time or share misery with."

"Colleague? You mean a friend?" Anya offered softly. She sat on a bench.

Hux snorted. "Friends? No, not at all. Perhaps Captain Phasma, but she is only a subordinate looking to win my favor." He joined her on the bench, snaked his arm around her waist and pulled her against his side. "I don't mean to bother you with my troubles. Introversion has been a wonderful tool. Harnessing those dark feelings has created everything I have now." Finally he smiled – a small, cautious thing – and shrugged. "You always seem to seek me out when the solitude is becoming too much." He raised an eyebrow smartly. "Are you using the Force on me?"

Anya pulled away and stared at him. "I said I wouldn't! You don't believe me?"

"A jest, Ren." Hux nudged her as she rolled her eyes. "You've sought me out. Might I suggest you're lonely as well?"

"Not at all," she replied, her mind immediately conjuring Ben and the rest of the knights. She had no shortage of communication every day, both professional and personal. The longer she thought about it, though, the more she realized he may be right. When Ben spent the evenings transfixed with the scavenger girl, didn't she wish she could reach out and have those silly pillow conversations with someone? Specifically, Hux? "Maybe a bit," she added sheepishly.

Hux nodded, then pursed his lips. Grey eyes challenged her. "But it's late. You'll want to be getting back, I presume."

The unspoken distaste hung in the air between them since their first sexual encounter. She fucked him and left him sleeping, simply penning a note saying her master wouldn't be pleased if she didn't return to her own bed before morning. It felt grimier than she intended. Her intention was never to use him and leave, but that's precisely what she did. His apprehension and disdain was well-earned.

She took too long to craft an appropriate response and Hux's voice betrayed his annoyance. "Go back to your quarters, Ren. I'd hate to put you in a bad light with your _master_." He stalked away, leaving her sitting on the bench alone.

Without thinking she held out her hand and used the Force to stop him. "Armie, it's just a training thing. I need a master and Kylo needs an apprentice. You know how he is. I want to stay in his good graces."

He struggled against the Force hard enough that Anya felt the strain. He snarled and twisted hard enough that it felt like a blow knocked her beside the head. Free, he frantically brushed off his jacket and clenched his fists. "Don't fucking _do that!_ I am on track to become the grand marshal for the First Order and I won't have a sorceress throwing me around like I'm some child's rag doll!"

Anya's mouth moved up and down wordlessly. "I'm sorry," she finally managed. "I didn't mean to." What was worse than the realization that her mission was suddenly blowing up in her face was the fact the look of utter hatred Armitage was watching her with. His chest heaved in anger. His teeth were gritted. Hands shaking, he brushed his hair back into place and sniffed.

Anya took a deep breath to hastily center herself. Time after time Ben reminded her to let the Jedi training go in order to keep up her charade. The Sith were passionate and fiery. Wouldn't a true dark Force user lash out with twice the fury Hux was? _Act be damned_. Anya Kenobi was no Sith and Armitage Hux was no game piece to toy with. His feelings were blazing with hurt and there was no way she could further the injury. "I didn't think. I apologize," she said. "Armie-"

"Go back to your master," he sneered, fists still balled at his sides. His lip twitched and then he blurted, "Are you fucking him, too? Is that the only way to win his favor? Is that why you had to run back to him? I'm- I'm only good enough for dark hallways and when _he's_ not on ship?" His nostrils flared and wetness shone in his eyes. "Don't think I haven't noticed your affections only come when there's not a soul to see. I'm not a fool."

"No," Anya breathed.

"No _what?_ " Hux growled, turning back on her and shaking a gloved finger in her face. "I should have suspected as much from the moment you took off your mask and I saw you were a woman." Loathing dripped from every syllable. "I've seen my officers fall all over themselves for him. I see how closely you follow him. Go back to him and leave me alone, you witch."

"That's not-"

"I apologize. Fraternizing with a non-military organization on board at the Supreme Leader's insistence is an unwise decision for a First Order officer." Hux's voice was suddenly calm and strong. General Hux, Anya knew. Armitage was behind the military mask once more, where it was safer. The image from before returned. The stars that shone down on them were no longer lovely, but sterile faint. Space was vast and cold, like the general before her, with his eyes matching his nearly pristine uniform. "I leave you to Lord Ren and advise you to stay out of First Order matters." He turned and stormed from the hall, looking official as ever.

Hux had gone from the hall entirely by the time Anya moved again. The mission didn't cross her mind, but every word he'd slung at her did. They played on a loop. _Sorceress. Witch. Leave me alone._ She simply let the words play for a while.

Her feet were moving before she realized what her course of action was. Her cloak streamed out behind her as she ran. Troopers paused their rounds and watched her, not daring to question or stop her. Ten feet away from her destination, she reached out the threw Hux's door open. At a jog, she entered the quarters and looked wildly for him.

He spotted her first. Blaster drawn and face utterly blank, he spun and aimed for her. She threw the gun aside with the Force and crashed into him. Before he could object, Anya pressed her lips against his in a wildly passionate kiss. In the course of the collision somehow her legs ended up around his waist and hands in his hair. Shocked, he stumbled with her weight. For a moment Anya worried he'd drop her or push her away, but his tongue eagerly pushed against her lips. She moaned at how eagerly he accepted her and matched her desire. His hands found her ass, both fondling and supporting her as their lips continued their warm, wet dance.

When they finally broke apart, Anya took Hux's hand and led him into the bedroom. She pushed him onto the bed and removed her tunic, pulling it off seductively over her head. He reached for his jacket, but she shook her head. "Wait." The strip tease continued, and when she had nothing left to remove, she undid her braid and let her long hair cascade over her shoulders and down her back.

Hux watched with interest. His eyebrow quirked at the amount of hair the braid seemed to compress. He opened his mouth to speak, but Anya beat him to it.

"Just me. No armor or saber. No title. And no master."

Nodding, Hux stood and reached for his uniform. He let each piece fall to the floor, wrinkling in an unceremonious heap. When he was naked, he matched her stare. "No First Order. No general. No sides between us."

For a moment they stood examining the other. Unlike their trysts during working hours, their actions were slow and intentional. He reached for her and she leaned into his touch. Anya buried her face in his neck, trying to memorize his scent and warmth. His arms fit perfectly around her and she sighed happily.

As they collapsed back onto the bed, every move was a declaration of intent, a silent statement and promise. Anya squeezed her eyes shut and tried to channel her positivity into him, but sensed he had already forgotten the hard feelings from earlier.

Hux's eyes bore into her very soul. It was infinitely more intimate than the ways he touched her, and for a moment the connection scared Anya. She looked away, but Hux touched her chin and turned her face back to his. "No," he ordered, voice firm in resolve but tender in tone. "I want to see you. I- I need you to see _me._ "

She nodded and surrendered to the grey pools, perfect cloudy skies, serene and calming. Lips parted in desire, he watched her face as she came, cried out, and shuddered.

When she awoke the next morning, naked and pleasantly sore, Hux had gone. A note on his pillow made her stomach churn nervously.

 _You'd think me so petty? Come, Ren.  
I only left because my schedule demanded me.  
Thank you for coming after me last night.  
Yours, AH._


	4. Broken

"Ren," General Hux's voice commanded her from the bridge as she passed.

Anya smiled and turned toward the command station. "General," she greeted him warmly, not bothering to allow someone to announce her.

"General?" He halted before her, his hands clasped behind his back. "So formal. From what I know of women, I must have done something to upset you. Shall I send for a floral arrangement?"

His smirk made her want to shove him playfully but she settled for a dramatic eye roll. Stepping closer, she dropped her voice. "I figured you wouldn't want rumor spreading through the ranks that one of Kylo Ren's knights calls you a pet name."

"And I thought you didn't want word to get back to Ren about how you're fraternizing with his imagined enemy." He stared at her, challenging her. Power and passion burned in his gaze. "Yet here we are for all to see."

After a moment, she reached out and snatched the cap from his head. He made a sound of protest, but quickly regained his composure. Now it sat cockeyed on her own head and she modeled it flirtatiously. "I'm not afraid of what anyone says about me," she said. "I don't answer to anyone."

"Nice try. You answer to Kylo Ren." Hux smiled and reached out to straighten the cap on her. "If you're going to be cute and snatch and officer's cap, at least conform to protocol and wear it properly." He cast a sidelong glance at a lieutenant who dared to giggle at the exchange. She silenced the laughter but still wore a smile as she looked back to her screen.

The officers' attention made Anya's chest feel warm. Indeed, the cat was out of the bag now. "It's not as if your oversized gremlin overlord is going to stroll in here and admonish me for wearing your cap crooked."

The smirk on Hux's face faded and was replaced by a worried grimace. "Supreme Leader Snoke is a wise and strong commander." His voice was frantic and several officers looked up from their stations with equally anxious expressions. Hux locked his eyes on Anya's, trying desperately to project a message."I'm pleased to serve him and the First Order! You would do well to-"

It was too late for groveling. A hologram of a huge ugly alien head popped up on the bridge, sending officers scrambling and cowering. "Hux!" it roared.

The general snatched the hat back from Anya, smashed it on his head, and spun to face the giant head. "Supreme Leader. I was just discussing how your influence-" he was cut off as an invisible force smashed him sideways against a console. Clutching his side and gritting his teeth in pain, he nodded. "Forgive me, Supreme Leader," he hissed through his teeth. "How can I serve you?"

"Why do I get the feeling something is amiss?" Snoke narrowed his eyes and scrutinized the general. "A disturbance has plagued the Force. Where is Ren?"

Hux scowled. "How should I know? I don't keep track of that- _ack!"_

Anya grimaced as Hux's body smashed against the console once again. She considered using her own Force powers to stop him, but knew better than to interfere with Snoke. Her fingernails dug into her palms and she clenched her jaw.

Snoke's gaze turned to her. "I see you've summoned his apprentice." Snoke momentarily studied her, then focused his attention back on Hux as he struggled back to his feet. "If you had a brain you'd ask her where he is."

"Of course, Supreme Leader," Hux panted. Tears shone in his eyes but he stood upright nonetheless. "Anya Ren, where is your master?"

She bowed to him slightly. "His comings and goings are none of my business, General."

"Good girl," Snoke purred. "See that you don't become distracted, General. I'm pleased to see you're taking my advice concerning Ren's knights." The hologram faded out, leaving only the memory of his unpleasant scowl.

"Armie," Anya breathed, falling to her knees as Hux crumpled, his face pale. "Kriff. Your ribs. They're broken, aren't they?"

"Again," Hux growled through his teeth. "They've only just healed." He looked to the other officers anxiously. "Return to your stations," he called, his voice shaking. "It's nothing you haven't seen before."

"Return to your work and pay us no mind," Anya declared, holding up her hands like a zealous preacher. The officers returned to work as if nothing had happened and she focused back on him.

"Thank you," Hux muttered.

"What did he mean about the knights?" Anya asked as she unbuttoned his jacket. "Advice?"

"The Supreme Leader wants me to get close to you to spy on Ren," he panted, watching as she pushed away his jacket and tugged up his undershirt. "It was an order, actually. The Supreme Leader doesn't give _advice._ "

Anya's heart pounded and eyes bugged open.

He sensed her apprehension and reached out and brushed her braid back over her shoulder. "That's not why I'm so comfortable with you." Hux tried to draw a deep breath but grimaced. "The order came only after I'd already fallen for your charms. The Supreme Leader is skilled at sensing emotional connections he can exploit. I've done more than you know to protect you, and I'll continue to do so."

"Oh." Anya nervously felt around his ribs. Where the should have been a solid cage, his side felt like a puzzle of bone fragments. Though she tried to stop them, the thoughts crept in. _Ren sent me, Snoke sent Hux. Are we both pawns? Are either of us really in this relationship of our own volition?_ She knew Ben had cast no spell over her, but she wondered about Snoke. She vowed to tell Ben everything and threw her attention back to Hux's injuries.

Hux cringed and jumped as she palpated. "What are you doing?"

"Healing you," she muttered, pressing her fingertips to his temple. He didn't protest, and Anya was surprised. "You'll wake up in your quarters. Sleep."

His head rolled back and he slept.

* * *

Hux awoke with a start. The digital display red that it was nearly 0300. He sucked in a breath and gingerly touched his side. Bruised, to be sure, but not much more. Trying his luck, he sat up and moved from side to side. No excruciating pain. No crunching of scraping. He traced the smooth curve of one rib with a finger, then the next and the next.

"Kriff," he mumbled to himself, swinging his feet to the edge of the bed. The Kenobi girl was stronger than she let on. Did Kylo Ren have the power of healing? Certainly not, or else he wouldn't have to hide his black eyes from the Supreme Leader behind his mask so frequently.

Hux mulled things over in his head. Anya knew Snoke had an eye on her now. She was no fool; she likely suspected it the moment she stepped on the ship. The thought would have made him queasy if she'd been a normal human. Her Force powers were strong enough for her to keep up with Kylo Ren and that gave him some solace. Still, not long ago Hux made the painful choice to try and scare her away from him and therefore Snoke's trap with a dramatic and emotional blow up in the viewing hall. It only brought them closer. How his heart had warmed when she burst into his quarters, utterly undeterred.

She saw him. Truly. Body and soul. There was no faking it.

Smiling, the general stood and slowly walked to his window, testing his ribs. The possibility remained that Anya was casting some long-term mind trick on him at Ren's order. If she could put back his bones without opening his skin, why couldn't she rearrange neuropathways to point back to her? Calling for a serotonin and dopamine release when she appeared couldn't be that hard. Could it?

No, he firmly thought. There's not an actress in the galaxy that could fake such a connection. Hux traced the whiskers beginning to sprout on his cheeks. The thought of Anya as a mean to an end was slightly sickening and he prayed she felt the same about him. Compartmentalizing was becoming impossible. Anya the Knight of Ren was ceasing to exist and instead she was Anya, his Anya, who also happened to be a knight. He could ignore her connection with Ren just as she seemed to ignore his position in the Order.

The way she looked at him? No, that was no trick. There was no malice in her intent. He could feel it.

For a multitude of reasons, Hux knew the key to the next part in his story was Anya Kenobi.


	5. Bonded

Training exhausted her mind and body, and withholding information from Ben was trying her last emotional nerve. Anya settled into a chair in their quarters and tapped out communications to the knights, who had been checking in one by one all evening. Soon they'd all reunite, arriving one by one on the ship. Anya considered asking Ben to postpone the meeting, but knew it was a sure way to alert Snoke that she picked up on his plans.

Ben looked up from his own workstation and studied her for a moment. "You're close to Hux now. Do you have his trust yet?"

Anya looked up in surprise, her message to Dez forgotten. "What makes you ask?"

"Asking for a mission update isn't unusual." He sat back, a satisfied smirk on his face. "Ah. So you're in over your head."

"I am not!"

"You have feelings for him." It wasn't a question and Anya didn't bother refuting. "Does he have them for you as well?" Ben smirked. "Don't think I haven't noticed your wrinkled clothes and messy hair. You may think I'm a boring prude, but I'm not naive."

Lips pursed, Anya struggled for what tone she wanted to convey. Ben had no business knowing about her personal life, but since it was also her professional duty, she was stuck.

Not needing a reply, Ben sneered. "He's a weasel. _He's_ the one trying to undermine everything we're doing. Don't forget he's our enemy. There's going to be a time to go back to the light and you can't hesitate because of him."

Anya brooded.

"I mean it," Ben warned.

"He's not the real enemy," she snapped. "Snoke knows we're up to something. Armie told me."

Ben's nose wrinkled. " _Armie?"_

She ignored him. "He put Hux up to the same thing you had me do to _him_. He's supposed to get close to me to spy on you."

Ben sat back. "Oh."

"Yeah. But Hux told me that, so I don't think he's faking it. I think Snoke is the real enemy. If Hux gets a chance, he'll come to our side. Snoke abuses him like he's an animal. It's crazy. We need to act fast, though. Snoke senses the disturbance in the Force. You're getting stronger and so if your conflict and pull to the Light."

Ben's lips scrunched to the side. "Then we'll move fast."

* * *

Ben watched the knight and general carefully. To anyone else, their casual movements were under the radar, much too subtle to see. But for someone aware of their relationship, it was obvious. The brushes in the corridors. Elongated eye contact. Quick smiles. Blushed cheeks.

It would have worried him if it wasn't what Snoke was hoping for. Still, Anya was right. The Supreme Leader sensed something afoot and Ben's time was running out. The First Order had to come into his control one way or another before he, Anya, and the rest of the Knights of Ren were discovered to be double, triple agents. Neither the Order nor the Resistance knew of their ploy. It was best that way.

"General," Ben boomed across the bridge. He tried not to cringe as Hux startled and pulled a grimace. When the general stood at attention in great annoyance, Ben quickly dismissed him. "As you were. Join me and my knights for dinner tonight. They'll be arriving soon if they aren't here already."

Hux's lip stiffened. "I don't see why not."

"Anya will be there," he offered playfully. "Does that sweeten the offer?"

The general blushed. "What should that matter to me?"

Ben raised an eyebrow. "She's told me everything. Not that I needed the confirmation. You're painfully obvious in your affections."

"I beg your pardon?"

The general's discomfort and mounting panic sizzled through the air and into Ben's own feelings. Snatching Hux by the shoulder, Ben pulled him in close. "She's in danger and you can help her. Come tonight."

Hux pulled away, his eyes narrowed. His hand instinctively moved to the knife in his jacket. "Danger? From whom?"

"Come tonight and you'll find out." Ben released the man and brusquely marched away. It was going to be a bold move, but it was the only one they had left as the clock ticked to Snoke's imminent discovery.

_  
Though he shouldn't have been surprised, Hux couldn't help but stare from knight to knight, marveling that they were all female humans. He had only seen the Knights of Ren in their dark garb, weapons drawn, stances menacing. No doubt the warriors were still as fearsome as expected, but being in their presence was somehow comforting. He preferred women in diplomacy any day.

Beside him at the long conference table, Anya chatted easily with a hairless knight named Gemma, sharing combat stories and joking. If she was truly in danger, Hux supposed, Anya either didn't feel threatened by it, or didn't know about it.

The youngest of the knights, a fourteen year old girl, jumped to her feet a moment before the doors whooshed open. "He's here!" When Kylo Ren entered, his cape rushing out behind him, she crossed her arms and stood in front of his empty chair, blocking his way. "You're late."

The other knights stood at attention and glared at her with disdain. Hux's lips parted in surprise and anticipation of a swift and harsh retribution, but instead Kylo laughed and scooped the girl into a bear hug. "Ambryn! Look how tall you've gotten!" he exclaimed

"And strong," she buffeted, ducking out of his loose grasp. She narrowed her eyes and lowered her chin, brow furrowing in concentration as she focused her attention on his face.

Kylo's lighthearted laughted snapped off immediately. He swatted the air between them. "Get out of my head," he snapped sternly.

The girl smiled triumphantly. "I told you so."

It looked as if Kylo was set to strike the girl. Unintimidated, she began to snicker. His anger fizzled into pride and he nodded and joined her laughter. "Well done." He settled into the seat between Ambryn and Anya. The rest of the knights sat in response.

"Why have we converged?" Hux blurted. "What is the danger you mentioned?"

The knights looked to each other in surprise. "Danger?" they muttered back and forth.

Kylo Ren glared at him before sucking in a deep breath through his nose. "If you feel you cannot agree with what is said in this room, you may be dismissed from my service without consequence."

Hux glanced from knight to knight, searching for indications that the danger was within the group. How many moles had he squashed in the First Order? Anya reached over and touched his arm, one eyebrow quirked quizzically. Surprised by her open affection, he nodded at her and turned his attention back to Ren. The lot of them could read minds and intentions. He was likely safe here.

"With every mission, every deception and con, you serve me," Kylo said calmly. He looked down at the table for a moment, considering his next words. "But I've liked to you. You don't serve the First Order or Snoke. You've been working for my plan for a future where light side and dark side aren't the only choices." He exhaled as if saying the words were a physical relief. His dark eyes flicked from face to face, studying the women before him.

The table was silent for a moment and Hux wondered if a revolt was moments away before Ambryn piped up. "We know," she announced. "I just wondered how long you would wait to tell us."

Ben's attention snapped to her. "What?"

The redheaded knight named Ross grinned slyly. "We're not imbeciles. You thought you could deceive _us_ , Master?"

Hux was pleased to see Ren fumble for words for once. Beside them Anya was chuckling in surprise.

The caramel-skinned beauty Lucia giggled. "It's only gotten worse since _the girl_ showed up. She's bared your soul for all of us to see." After a moment she smiled wider. "And you'll see her soon?"

"Enough," Ben barked, his cheeks blushing a furious red. "I've manipulated you to serve the Force itself instead of a side. None of you care?"

"Not really," Ambryn sang out, fussing with her dark robes. "I like what we've been doing. Sometimes I don't want to pick a side. Sometimes I like the dark power. Master Luke would have never understood."

The fiercest knight and most able warrior leaned forward casually. "We knew Ben Solo would never go willingly to the dark side, no matter how it looked." She leaned on her hands. "And Lucia's right. You've been an open book since your Jakku woman showed up."

Ben slammed his hands down on the table. "Enough about the girl!"

"Ooh! Ben has a girlfriend," Ambryn hissed loudly to the amusement of the older knights.

Hux looked to Anya in wonder. "This is how they treat their master?" he whispered. "No wonder he's always in such a mood. And the _scavenger girl?_ The one from Dagobah? She tried to _kill_ him. I had to carry him back to the ship myself."

Anya bit her lip and shrugged coyly and Hux couldn't help but smile. "Keep your secrets," he scoffed in mild annoyance.

Ben ran his hands through hair hair and took a breath. "Enough. _Enough._ There's no time to play. Snoke may be onto us. He's watching to see what I do, expecting a big dramatic move. He knew Darth Vader and expects the same theatrics from me. I've played the part but he may see through the act. It's time to atone for our war crimes and seek refuge and give strength to the Resistance."

Now the faces grew long and solemn, including Hux's. He swallowed hard and sat back in his chair. Supreme Leader Snoke was arguably the most powerful Force user living, but a table of seven of them, plus Ren's scavenger girl, was a huge arsenal of power and strength that he was loath to see run to the Resistance. What was worse was that happened if they got caught before defecting to General Organa.

When no one spoke, Anya cleared her throat. "We have people in the Resistance. They're no longer opposed to Dark Force users. That thought disappeared with Master Luke. General Organa hasn't pushed our Force-sensitive Rebel toward the light even though she's displaying dark side tendencies." She paused and let that sink in. "We've seen how Snoke uses Force users, no matter what side they tap into. We're not just doing this for us. It's for the galaxy. The Force is growing. We've all felt it, found dozens of Force users on the missions. We're here to protect them, to change how the galaxy sees the Force. It's not all dark and light." She raised an eyebrow to Ben. "Though our grandfathers would be viciously disappointed to hear that."

"We'll begin moving you all to the Resistance. Anya will go first and take Lucia for the first negotiations. Protect each other. Tell the general everything and give her this." He fished in his tunic for something before drawing out a pair of silver die on a chain. He turned to the rest of the knights. "The rest will go once we've secured a place and peace with my mother. I'll stay here and deal with Snoke." Finally he looked to Hux. "I've just confessed treason for myself and all of my knights. What will you do?"

Hux felt his breath catch in his breath. Compassion and fear, not betrayal, consumed and shocked him. The women before him, though traitors they be, reminded him of the sisters or lovers he always wished he had. It wasn't their fault that their life experiences landed them on the side of Kylo Ren's grey area.

Still, a thousand horrid outcomes played in his mind. If Snoke was truly aware of the deception Kylo Ren had pulled off for the years he'd served the Order, he and everyone associated with him was in for excruciating punishment. Torture. Imprisonment. Human trafficking. Infinite ways Anya would be punished along with the rest of the knights and their numbskull master. His eyes found hers. The dozens of injuries inflicted for a minor failure or infraction at Snoke's hand came to mind and he felt phantom aches all over his body. The women before him faced fates a thousand times worse than anything he'd suffered.

"You're in grave danger," Hux growled. "If you hadn't handled things so sloppily, we wouldn't be in this situation in the first place with no time and no plan."

Ben narrowed his eyes. " _'We?'"_

The knights watched Hux with bated breath and he wished he could read minds at that moment. "The Order is a military operation that will bow to whoever's in charge. I have no love for Supreme Leader Snoke. If you mean to install new rule, you have my full support."

Anya reached out and squeezed his hand.

" _With_ the condition that I remain at my rank _or higher_ and have a hand in how the Order be reorganized and which officers be eliminated," Hux finished.

"I agree," Kylo quickly answered. "You have my word, General. I'll include you in negotiations with General Organa." He motioned to Anya. "As soon as night falls and the night guard comes on-"

"No!" Hux snapped. "You blathering fool. Surrender control of this mission to me unless you want to fail."

The knights shifted uncomfortably, but Ben didn't act out or even speak.

Hux huffed and continued. "You cannot send these two off in the night like criminals. The Supreme Leader will suspect a trap and have them captured and killed. Or he'll track them and then kill the rest of you."

"Armie," Anya muttered. "This all happened quickly. We must go _now_."

"No," Hux said, suddenly smiling. "We'll play this out how Snoke thinks it will go."

* * *

An hour later the mess hall was full of troopers, officers, and the Knights of Ren. Anya strode through the hall beside Ben, waiting for the show to begin.

They didn't have to wait long. Hux burst in, his uniform disheveled and voice roaring. "You witch!" Frustration and embarrassment trembled in his tone. His cheeks glowed as red as his hair as his voice boomed through the room. "This is _treason!_ Arrest that woman! _"_

Troopers scrambled to find who he was talking about as the verbal barrage continued. "None of this was my own will, _sorceress_! She put her thoughts in my head! I am an officer of the First Order and this is utter treason and you will be executed for it." He pointed at Anya. "What are you waiting for? _Arrest her!"_

Ben sneered but Anya shook her head. "I didn't, Armi-"

"I will not be made a fool of!" The general motioned furiously toward his troopers, who were anxiously circling Kylo and Anya.

Anya gasped and stepped back, bumping into Ben.

"Leave her alone," Ben calmly replied, giving his hand a lazy wave. The troopers froze. Turning to Hux, Ben shrugged easily. "She's my apprentice, not one of your soldiers. You won't command her killed without my say."

"I'll not have two of you trying to manipulate me. This was _different_ than your usual persuasion and threats. This was, was," Hux stumbled. "This was espionage. Treason in its most basic definition. I'll see her executed on the morrow, Ren." Clenched fists at his sides trembled, white knuckled. He refused to look at Anya, but instead, glared at Ben. "That's an order. Anya Kenobi's death is non-negotiable."

"We'll see," Ben replied. He lightly took Anya's arm. "Come."

Anya's lip twitched as she glanced back at the general. The look on his face was all sorrow and longing. Her soul matched. There was no telling when she'd see him again. There was no guarantee she _would_ see him again. All she knew was that he just played the role of a lifetime and put himself in the direct path of Snoke's wrath to keep her alive and if that wasn't true love, she didn't know what was.


	6. Calm Before the Storm

"Welcome to the Resistance."

A handsome pilot in an orange jumpsuit stood with one foot on a boulder and arms crossed square across his chest. His dark brow was furrowed in suspicion, giving him a nearly sinister look in tandem with the dark stubble on his cheeks. Anya and Lucia had only just landed with permission at the Resistance base when the commander met them, blaster drawn. They removed their masks and his expression softened slightly. Poe Dameron had never met a woman he didn't like.

"Rey said you were coming," he drawled, "but I still don't trust you. Either of you." Still, he studied them both for longer than necessary and a smile ticked at the corner of his lips.

Lucia curtseyed, her dark robes puddling on the ground around her feet. Her eyes slowly made their way up his body. "Commander Dameron. You're as handsome as rumors say." A wicked smile lit up her face.

The pilot's smile widened. "Yeah? Call me Poe. What's your name?"

"Poe. Okay. I'm Lucia Ren." She extended her hand, but Dameron ignored it, instead raising an eyebrow and tightening his grasp on his blaster.

"And you?" he asked, jutting his chin out toward Anya.

"Anya Ren."

His lips parted in wonder. "Anya? Like Anya Kenobi? Like _the_ Ben Kenobi? You're _real?_ " He clapped a hand to his forehead. "No way."

Her nose wrinkled. "Am I rumored to be _not_ real?"

Poe's face lit up. "Oh man, Leia's gonna wanna talk to you." Poe moved his blaster from hand to hand, considering his next move. "All right. We're going to the general first and she can decide whether you can be trusted or not. No funny stuff," he warned. "All this side switching all of the sudden? It doesn't smell right." After a moment, he added with a coy wink, "Looks nice, though."

* * *

General Hux hadn't slept all night.

The sheets were constrictive, the air was stifling, and his mind buzzed nonstop with worry about what the next steps were.

Anya was gone, along with Lucia Ren, ushered onto a vessel by Kylo Ren immediately upon the finale of their staged act. They were likely at the Resistance base now, well out of Snoke's grasp, but also away from him.

He rolled over and flipped the pillow to the cool side. How General Armitage Hux had fallen in love with Anya Kenobi, of all of the beings in the galaxy, was beyond him. Rebel scum born of Rebel scum born of Jedi scum. Everything in him was wired to loathe her, but her brown eyes were serenity and hope melted into gorgeous amber that mystified him and calmed his soul. Because of Anya Kenobi, for the first time in his life, Armitage Hux was thinking beyond the narrow path he was forced down.

Hux squirmed. That was startling and freeing at the same time. He couldn't fathom a world without her electric pull in it and he couldn't stop worrying about her.

 _Anya._ Was she well? Hux gritted his teeth and pressed his eyes shut, willing sleep to come and quell his fears. What could Hux do to protect Anya should he find himself at her side? Her Force powers nearly matched Kylo Ren's. His blaster and hand to hand combat skills were fine tuned, but he imagined Anya could throw a man across the room with her mind like her master had done to him a dozen times. Still, there was always a bigger fish.

He murmured her name and recalled the scent of her hair and sound of her laughter. Yes, life had a strange new flavor, and Hux was desperately eager not to lose it.

Finally sleep began to swirl and chip away at his clarity. All he had to do was go about his daily First Order business and await the removal of the giant space goblin who had abused him for so long.

* * *

Despite popular belief, Ben Solo loathed solitude. Silence screamed at him. Loneliness threatened to drive him insane. For years Anya was everything to him, including a safety net and a crutch in the times he couldn't bear the burden of conflict. Sending her away meant being alone in what would be the most intense physical trial of his life. He had no idea how to kill Snoke, but the fate of the galaxy was resting on his ability to slaughter the disfigured monster.

Being alone was the last thing he wanted.

The youngest of his knights seemed to sense his anxiety and followed him to his quarters as soon as Anya and Lucia's craft flew away. Ambryn immediately occupied Anya's bunk without asking permission as Ben settled into his desk. Her lanky legs hung awkwardly over the side of the bed as she pulled a book from her pack. "She's coming tonight? The scavenger girl? She's going to help you with our big plan, right?"

"No. Not tonight," Ben answered, unsurprised that Ambryn could sense the plan. "Soon."

"What's wrong?" The teen looked up. "You don't think she can do it?"

Impressed enough by her intuition that her questions didn't annoy him, Ben sat back and sighed. "I don't like misleading her," he said. "She's risking her life to bring me back to the Light. She doesn't know I never left it. It's unfair."

"Ah," Ambryn nodded. "You love her." It was matter-of-fact, but the arch of her eyebrow dared Ben to debate the fact.

"You're fourteen. What do you know about love?"

She waved her book to and fro. "I read a lot. I sort of remember my parents. They were in love." She chewed at her lip for a moment. "You don't feel bad about stuff like that – little white lies – unless you really care about that person."

"But she'll never love me," Ben muttered. "She nearly killed me." He turned his face and traced his index finger down the long shiny scar at his cheek. "This scar's from her. She'll come to help with Snoke. That's all."

"She wouldn't kill you now," Ambryn argued. "But that scar was because it was still war and you didn't know each other! She loves you now. And you love her. What's she look like?"

"That's enough," Ben scoffed. "Go to sleep."

"But you're lonely."

"Not anymore." He offered her a smile.

Ambyrn abandoned her book. Sighing boredly, she flexed her fingers and generated a ball of electricity. It jumped like lightning from fingertip to fingertip.

"You're stronger now," Ben commented.

The sparks went out. "I understand now why my parents threw me away."

The words hit Ben like a blaster bolt. Kriff, how she felt like his own blood. Truth be told, he was more of a father to her than her own deadbeat parents, who grew wary of her powers and dumped her off at Luke's temple. When Ben left, he snatched her from her bed as she wailed in terror. The image of her reaching up to him for protection, her eyes trusting and relieved at his presence, would never leave him. After raising her, providing for her, educating her, he took delight in her fiery personality and felt burning pride at her strength and accomplishments. Ben wondered whether Rey would feel the same about the young knight. The word _family_ flickered through his mind but he quickly extinguished it.

"Mine did, too," Ben replied, "but now we have each other. We understand each other. You only scare me that you're growing up so fast." She gave him a small smile, but it quickly faded away. He tried harder. "You want to know what I'm afraid of? What happens when you decide some guy out there is worthy of your affection?" He feigned a dramatic sigh. "Then you'll forget all about being a knight and I'll have to find someone to take your spot and they won't be as smart or strong."

"Shut up. You'll have Rey! And she can be a knight!"

"What?" Ben stiffened. "I never told you her name! How'd you know her name?"

"And I don't want to marry a _guy_!" Ambryn continued to argue. Suddenly she bit her lip, unusually bashful.

"Oh? What will you do instead?" Ben leaned forward on his chin to listen. Ambryn only ever said she wanted to serve the Force when she grew up, and he was interested in what she had to say.

Ambryn swallowed and studied her hands for a moment. "I – I guess I'd rather marry a girl," she admitted. Finally she looked up, face as serious as the grave. "I never told anybody that." Her face paled as if awaiting bad news.

Ben chuckled. "Good. Men are terrible."

"You're a man."

"And I'm terrible."

Ambryn giggled. "You're not terrible. I thought you'd be mad at me."

Ben crossed the room and sat on his own cot, only an arm's length away from the girl. "Have I ever been mad at you?"

"Yeah," she scoffed. "That time I knocked over the big shelf during training."

"Only because you could have been hurt," Ben replied. "Now go to bed. I don't know what the next few days will look like. You need to rest."

Ambryn lunged across the gap between cots and threw her arms around Ben's neck. "I won't ever leave you. If I get married, I'll make my wife stay on our planet."

It was a child's promise, but oddly reassuring. "Good," he nodded. "That makes me feel better. Now sleep."


	7. End

"It's happening. Go!"

Jarred from his thoughts as he strolled down the corridor, Hux looked up with a jerk. Kylo Ren seemed to materialize in the hallway before him. His eyes were frantic, usually immaculate hair hanging in his eyes. Something about him reminded the general of a provoked caged animal ready to attack.

Hux opened his mouth to speak but Ren glared at him. "You can't be here when it all implodes. You need to make sure you can rein in the First Order. Go!" Urgency punctuated the order.

The severity of the situation hit Hux. Kylo Ren didn't expect to survive. The dedication to his cause had never been more clear and Hux found the respect for Ren he'd always lacked. Dutifully nodding, Hux raised his hand to salute; something he'd never done for Ren. "May the Force be with you," he articulated carefully, as if reciting an incantation.

Ren sucked in a breath. His bottom lip quivered, then he nodded and took off in the opposite direction down the corridor.

Sighing softly, Hux turned toward the hangar bay. His life was about to change drastically. Everything he'd worked for his entire life was meaningless, left behind with his First Order uniform he was about to ditch in a trash receptacle.

Minutes later, the borrowed orange flight suit hung loose on him and probably clashed with his hair. Hux smiled in spite of himself. What a stupid thing to worry about at a time like this.

"I'm running a special errand on behalf of the Supreme Leader," he barked at an attendant. "Prepare this ship. I'm already late."

As Hux boarded his ship, he wondered if he'd ever see Kylo Ren alive again.

* * *

Exasperated, Anya sighed for what seemed like the tenth time. "We were never on _any_ side," she once again explained to the panel of Resistance leaders sitting before her. She and Ben expected skepticism, but she was being treated like a bomb ready to go off. Even Leia didn't trust her like she expected. "Not the Light. Not the Dark. Not Master Luke, not the First Order. We're here to do what's right for the Force and those who wield it."

General Leia Organa sighed in reply. "There are sides, whether you mean to serve them or not." The general was an older woman with a face that had seen the cycle of sorrow and hope time and again. In the wrinkles there were wisdom and patience; something Anya couldn't muster. "I knew your family. I knew _you,_ Anya. This doesn't make sense. The Kenobis have always served the Light. Your grandfather-"

"The Force doesn't choose sides," Lucia cut in from beside her. The knight pulled against her restraints. "Why should we?"

Poe Dameron watched her, his eyes tracing her slender nose and large eyes, the curve of her lips. "I get it." Leia glared at him, but he shrugged easily. "I do. Give them a chance to explain."

Lucia smiled, and noticing the attention they were receiving, pushed her lips into a pout. Dameron hung on her every move and she took an extra second to wink in his direction. "I understand why you wouldn't trust us. Perhaps you will once our master slays Supreme Leader Snoke and brings you his head."

"Kylo Ren?" Dameron asked in surprise, the spell broken. His head snapped toward the general. "He's going to kill Snoke?" His eyebrows disappeared into his hair as Leia touched her lips in surprise.

"That's the plan," Lucia answered smoothly, ignoring the surprised expressions from Leia and the other senior officers. "And you can be part of it."

Leia sat back in her chair and pressed her fingertips together in front of her lips. "Ben." A smile took one corner of her lips.

"That's risky," a purple haired woman said softly. "He could be killed."

" _General! General! First Order defector!"_

Anya stood. The Force took hold and freed her from her restraints. Gawking, Poe jumped to his feet, blaster drawn on her. Anya rushed around the table, easily shoving past the commander, who snapped, " _Hey!"_ as she blatantly ignored the weapons in his hands. She nearly collided with the guard roughly dragging General Hux by the elbow.

"It's happening now," Hux blurted. He struggled against his captor, but to no avail. His arms were cuffed behind his back and he'd certainly looked more coiffed. The guard clearly took liberties in treating him with respect defectors were usually shown. "Rey is there. He sent all the other knights away except for the child. They're moving to strike!"

Lucia, at Anya's heels, scowled. "Then why are you here and not there helping?"

Understanding struck like a brick to her chest. Anya back away. "In case things don't go as planned," she muttered. "I should have known he'd do something like this. He thinks he and Rey can take Snoke on by themselves."

"General Hux! No shit? In person?" Poe sang out. "Come in. Meet General Organa. Sit your ass down before I shoot you."

But Leia emerged from the tent, lips pulled into a taut grimace.

Hux stared at the woman for a moment. "General. I'd salute, but I'm being treated like a prisoner instead of a defector."

Leia narrowed her eyes and studied the man, then laughed. "General," she returned the greeting. "So I take if you serve the Knights of Ren, too?" She gestured to Lucia and Anya. "It's been a circus in here all day. Why _wouldn't_ the First Order general show up?" Sarcasm dripped in her words, but it was good-natured. Things were turning around. It was a frantic, wild lightspeed turn, but if it went well, they'd _all_ be on the right track again.

"Not a general anymore. I'm defecting," Hux replied lamely. "I've forsaken my allegiance to Supreme Leader Snoke and seek to rebuild the First Order with Resistance input and cooperation."

Leia nodded nervously and gestured back to the tent. "All right. In."

* * *

The wait was grueling, but much shorter than anyone expected.

Hours later, Kylo Ren marched off his ship and into the Resistance camp, his face drawn and aged a decade since Anya saw him last.

"Ben," she called, running to him, once again disregarding Dameron, assigned to guard her. "What happened? You look terrible."

"A lot happened," Ben said shakily, glancing over his shoulder as the brunette sidekick joined him. "Snoke is dead."

"Long live the supreme leader," Anya breathed. "You did it."

"Dead?" Poe blurted, turning to Anya in disbelief before whipping his head back to the man. "You killed Snoke? Hugs was telling the truth?"

Ben turned on the pilot, snarling. Rebel guards drew their blasters and aimed for his heart, but Kylo didn't seem to care. "He's dead and one of your ships just smashed through half our fleet." His lip quivered violently and he huffed and turned away.

Ambryn reached out and put a hand on his shoulder. The gesture struck Anya as strange. The hand was too mature, too defined to belong to the teen. As she followed the hand back to the arm, shoulder, and finally, face, Anya realized in horror she wasn't Ambryn. Instead, a tan woman who looked like she'd been through hell and back gazed at her; amber eyes above a plain of freckles. _Rey._

"Ambryn?" Anya blurted. Her heart thudded wildly, making her wonder if she was even breathing. "Where's Ambryn, Ben?"

Ren heaved a sob and in a violent jerk of his arms, used the Force to crumple several tents. Furniture and people inside blew out the sides of the canvas and spilled onto the ground, swearing and groaning. Splinters exploded everywhere.

"That's Rey," Poe said carefully. "She's with us. Who's Ambryn?"

"Now what?" a weathered voice came from one of the few still erect tents. Leia glowered out from behind the tent flap until she spotted the culprit. "So it's true," Leia whispered as she studied the face of her son. Time and trouble had aged it prematurely. He was young, so young, and though he'd been so much a spitting image of his father, had none of that mischievous Solo spark left.

Rey rushed to Leia and threw her arms around her. "We did it."

"At what cost?" Ben replied, his voice a hoarse whisper. "For what?" He didn't bother looking up to the generals and familiar faces from his childhood.

"Can I ask who Ambryn is?" Poe repeated. "Should we be expecting anyone else?"

"She was mine," Ben snapped indignantly. Leia stared at him in surprise. He continued, pretending not to see her. "Her parents abandoned her and I raised her. She was a knight. I couldn't send her away and it's my fault she's dead. She survived the assassination but died in the crash." He found Hux. His lip twitched.

Hux felt the familiar sizzle of the Force around him and he cringed. "Supreme Leader, I was here and tried to negotiate, but it was unsuccessful. Your knights will verify that account. There was nothing more I could have done to call them off and earn their surrender."

"Ambryn is gone and you want to verify accounts of negotiations?" He reached out to seize Hux by the throat, but a voice stopped him.

"Ben. I know how you feel."

His head whipped back to Leia. Before he could even consider the fact that this was his first converstaion with his mother in years, he snapped, "How could you possibly know? She is _dead._ You sent me away. You didn't care. Neither did Da- Han Solo."

The rebels and knights froze. All eyes were locked on General Organa and Supreme Leader Ren. Something both extremely private yet of vast importance to the galaxy was happening in one monumental moment. The group collectively held its breath.

"We cared. We love you. We were wrong. I'm sorry. We weren't good parents and as much as I wish I could, I can't fix that now." Leia looked up at Ben and swore she'd seen the look on his face before.

"I was everything Ambryn needed and she was taken from me. _By you."_

Anya exchanged a glance with Hux, then Rey. Finally, her gaze settled back on her master. Her best friend. "Ben. We can bring her back. You know we can."

"No," Ben snarled. "She deserves better than that. A reanimated vessel? No." His lip quivered violently, then he took a few steps until he towered over General Organa.

She looked up at him in wonder, fear absent from her face though it was very present on her guards'. She swallowed. "I'm sorry, Ben."

Ren dropped to a knee and bowed his head, throwing down his saber. "This is what she wanted. General Organa. As supreme leader of the First Order, I humbly ask your guidance and support to build a new governing body for the galaxy. I offer you-"

"Get up."

Ben looked up. "This is proper protocol."

"Not for me." She pulled Ben to his feet and hugged him. "You're home." He dumbly patted his mother on the back, shocked to find himself in her embrace.

Anya looked to Hux in relief and a smile yanked her lips wide. "The war's over."

Rey had joined the Solos' embrace. The celebration spread through the rebel camp quickly. There was laughter and sobbing, cheering and sighing all mixed together. Whispers spread. _Ben Solo has returned. Ben brought down the First Order. Ben's back._

"No," Poe interjected. "Just like that?" He looked around, eyes wide. "Holy shit. Just like that. So wait, we're part of the First Order now?"

Sighing, Hux shook his head. "The Supreme Leader will need to pick a new title." He glared at the pilot. "I shall serve as the grand marshal and no one will tell me otherwise."

Anya smirked as the pilot and general bickered back and forth. It was going to be an interesting future, but surely a good one. The dust would settle and the work would begin.

 **A/N: Well, that was a bit of a rocky road as I had no plan for this as I started, but I hope you had a nice read through. (:**


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